Friday, December 23, 2016

Mona Lisa angel and the Sierra Nevada / Visions on a snowy December morning

The angel on Sabine's family's Christmas tree in 1966 reminded me of the angel that was on my family's Christmas tree in 1966. My mother sent it to me after she and my father replaced it with something else at the top of the Christmas tree. That might have been in the 1970s. The angel didn't have a face. Instead she had a silver-colored globe ornament for a head, which I found vaguely disturbing. There was a halo above the faceless angel. It may have been last December that the head fell off. I thought of trying to reattach it, but something prompted me to attach an image of the Mona Lisa. For the first time ever when I opened my box of December things, I was happy to see that green angel from my childhood.

"Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues. You can tell by the way she smiles."
(Bob Dylan lyrics, from "Visions of Johanna," 1966)

You can see the decorations I put out this year for December as well as what is always there. Even though I don't call myself a Christian or anything else, during December I think about Mary and Joseph waiting for the Baby Jesus to be born. The ceramic figures were given to me by my mother. They were brought out during December in my childhood. I bring Baby Jesus out on Christmas morning. Two angels given to me by a friend in the last few years are there during December, too. There is sprig from a eucalyptus tree in a glass of water. That's new this year. See the little tree outside. It has been there for a year or two. The Principles of Uncertainty, by Maira Kalman. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. It is always there to the right of the elephant batik that came to me after my father died. My Christian father was drawn to that elephant from India. He traveled to India in the 1970s. The batik is always there, too, along with Gentle Wilderness: The Sierra Nevada. The lavender and orange and gold tapestry rug on the floor is new this year. My friend, Linda, gave it to me a few months ago. The woven blue rug comes from Vida nueva and was made by Zenaida Lazo. On the windowsill is a jar filled with beach glass and beach ceramic from a beach near Port Townsend, WA. It was a gift from a friend many years ago. On top of the jar is prism that channels a spectral light show on my walls when the sun shines. And everyone knows Oboe! It looks white outside because it is snowing this morning.

1 comment:

I like the Mona Lisa version. I think our angel did not have a face either. It (he? she?) just had a round cotton wool ball there. The important part were the concertina wings and gown. You could fold it flat. I came from the Christkindelsmarkt in Nuremberg, one of the oldest xmas markets.

Oboe in late April 2018

How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be? -- Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Welcome to "TALKING 37TH DREAM (RUMORS OF PEACE)".

The photograph currently at the top of my blog was taken on May 8, 2016, at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park in Island County of Washington State. For years after leaving Northern California in 1973, I had a recurring dream that there was an ocean beach not too far south of Bellingham. My joy at discovering that beach in my dreams was offset by my grief that no such beach existed when I woke up. On May 8, 2016, I visited West Beach for the first time with a friend who also grew up in Northern California. West Beach is the beach I dreamed about for so many years. May 8, 2016, was the 29th anniversary of the beginning of my healing in connection with bulimia, anorexia, alcoholism, and the beginning of actively using the creative gifts I had been born with. On May 8, 1987, I spent the entire day driving south on Highway 1, frequently gazing at the Pacific Ocean from Mendocino County to Santa Cruz County when the ocean was visible from the road.

"OLD GIRL OF THE NORTH COUNTRY" (the earliest name for my blog) came to life in early December of 2006 so that I could post a 42-year retrospective of my paintings and drawings and through that action, create a new relationship with the day the man I loved returned from Vietnam in December 1970. For a while (sometime after spring of 2008, which is when he died) my blog was "TALKING 37TH DREAM WITH RAINBOW (RUMORS OF PEACE)". For a number of years, it's been "TALKING 37TH DREAM (RUMORS OF PEACE)." As of April 12, 2017 my blog is now titled "37TH DREAM / TALKING 37TH DREAM (RUMORS OF PEACE/LOOKING UP)".

To begin viewing the retrospective with narrative, scroll down to December 8, 2006, on this page:

How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be? -- Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. -- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. -- Martin Buber (1878-1965)

It is only a little planet, but how beautiful it is.

-- Robinson Jeffers

The true end of a war is the rebirth of life;the right to die peacefully in your own bed.The true end of war is the end of fear;the true end of war is the return of laughter.

-- Alfred Molano

Enjoy every sandwich -- Warren Zevon (1947-2003)

Not in God's wilds will you ever hear the sad moan, "All is vanity." No, we are paid a thousand times for all our toil, and after a single day spent outdoors in their atmosphere of strength and beauty, one could still say, should death come — even without any hope of another life — "Thank you for this most glorious gift!" and pass on.

-- John Muir (1838-1914)

Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do? Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well. Hugh Fennyman: How? Philip Henslowe: I don't know. It's a mystery.